Did you just say that Lynyrd Skynyrd is the best Southern Rock band of all time? No? Well you should have. On November 20, the seven-piece group took the stage at the Pepsi Arena and didn’t leave until they had proven that even though it is their “Thirty Years Anniversary Tour,” they have more energy than ever. Lynyrd Sknyrd has been through many hardships as a band, and that night they were making their bandmates up in rock ’n’ roll heaven extremely proud.
38 Special opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd—very loudly, might I add. Their tunes were in the classic Southern rock style, with songs about the road, ladies down south, being free, being true to yourself, and of course, about “Rockin’ to the Night.” If you’re a Skynyrd fan and haven’t checked out 38 Special, you definitely have to. They did their job of getting the crowd ready for Skynyrd; everyone’s eardrums got accustomed to the nice loud, clear sound of the guitars, and everybody was ready to rock.
People at the concert ranged from 15 to 70, with good reason. Not only does Lynyrd Skynyrd have some awesome guitar sections and very high quality arrangements, their lyrics also have something that is missing from a lot of modern day bands: soul—and fans recognize this. With such an assortment, you might think that a good portion of the crowd would be almost comatose, considering that a good deal of the seats were way up in the rafters.
However, if you assumed that, you would be wrong, very, very wrong. Even if you hated Lynyrd Skynyrd, the sounds that were popping out of those speakers would make anyone, at the least, jump out of his seat and start screaming. There were tons of Confederate flags, motorcycle shirts, men with long hair, whiskey shirts, and a whole lot of attitude present.
The backdrop of the stage started off as a whiskey hold and alternated between that and a giant American flag as well as a half American, half Confederate flag. The drummer was above the facade of whiskey barrels, and bordering the back of the stage were two gigantic pistons from a Vicious Cycle, which is the name of the band’s new album. With the crowd roaring, the southern rock legends took the stage a little after 9 pm and the screaming didn’t stop until close to 11 pm.
They started off with “That’s How I Like It” from their new album Vicious Cycle, which was definitely a crowd pleaser. They followed with their classic “What’s Your Name,” with the whole audience singing along. They continued with a jam session of the four guitarists leading into “I Know a Little.” They introduced “Pick ‘Em Up,” saying that everyone should check out their new album, and if the rest of the disc is like “Pick ‘Em Up,” everyone should.
Most people are familiar with the all too common raising of the lighters by the crowd. However when you’re at a concert with a classic rock band, and there is a good reason for the remembrance, it is amazing. The band asked the crowd to take out their lighters because the next song, “Simple Man” was being dedicated to their late bassist Leon Wilkeson. It is a somewhat slow song but it managedto receive an amazing amount of life on stage. Mixed with a video they showed of the band in the 70s, and the arena alight with the glow of the crowd’s personal torches, it was a truly moving experience.
To lighten up the atmosphere a little bit, they transitioned into their classic “That Smell.” Then they dedicated “Red, White and Blue” to all of the people in the armed services and to those who have already served. The background changed to a giant American flag and they showed a video displaying many parts of the armed forces, including several shots of tanks in the desert and jet fighters. Being the all-around American band has been one of Skynyrd’s defining characteristics. Using their blue-collar roots, they infused patriotism throughout the entire arena.
Up to this point in the show, they were representing the country as a whole, but after raising the Union morale high, Lynyrd Skynyrd came right in and represented their southern roots. With songs like “Down South Jukin’,” “Gimme Back My Bullets,” and “Mississippi Kid,” you could feel the Southern pride dripping from the ceiling. They took a little break in the Confederacy promotion and did their crowd musing “Gimme Three Steps,” followed by “Call me the Breeze,” with an inspiring keyboard solo.
To end off their set, they played the ever popular “Sweet Home Alabama” to the absolute delight of the audience. They started it off with a wicked alternative guitar solo and by the end of it, any good Skynyrd fan wished he were from the South. The audience was almost as loud as the band with everyone singing along. The band left the stage with the crowd cheering louder than ever.
With the crowd chanting “Free Bird,” the band came back out for an encore starting with “Travelin’ Man.” As soon as the song ended and the applause erupted, people again started shouting “Free Bird.” A single guitarist took front and center and played a variation on the tune, with the video screen descending. Sure enough, a white bird took the screen and the crowd went wild; they were playing “Free Bird.” For anyone that has never heard the song, especially the live version found on the Essentials album, it is simply an amazing entourage of great lyrics, guitar solos, piano solos, and just pure energy.
This live performance was no exception; It was better than any version I have heard before and gave the audience more than they could have expected. It’s a long song too, with the original weighing in at nine minutes and the live performances lasting much longer. Through the whole song the band was giving it their all, and in return the crowd gave all the energy they had left and then conjured up some more. It was an amazing end to a fantastic concert.
Overall, the band has learned in 30 years how to please its fans. They played most of their older hits and still stuck in a few new crowd pleasers. The sound of the band has altered little from the original studio recordings, but yet they were able to bring the life to it that proves this music can never grow old. If you aren’t a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, go become one ... right now!
